The present invention relates to a high speed shut off and disconnect device for interconnected conduits, particularly but not exclusive for cryogenic pipelines or conduits.
The transfer of very low temperature liquids through conduits poses significant problems. An example of such transfer is, for example, the pumping of a very low temperature liquid from a storage facility in a harbor to and into a tanker or vice versa. The need may (and will) arise that the connection between the vessel and the shore facility has to be separated and, possibly, quite fast at that. Equipment is known here to provide such separation by means of valves in a point of connection between two conduits, and further means are provided to separate the conduits physically, e.g. by hand or through a mechanical device. The known equipment requires some turning motion for obtaining the separation and that is inherently slow. Moreover, it must be expected that the connection is to some extent covered with ice, possibly even to such an extent that the ice positively interferes with rapid separation.